“I shy away from them because they are very identifiable”: A qualitative study exploring user and non-user's perceptions of wearable activity trackers

OBJECTIVE: Wearable activity trackers hold potential as a research tool to increase physical activity. However, long-term wearable adherence is low among users, which may be due to the limited understanding of the factors related to use and relation to health behavior theory. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the perceptions of wearables among active adult users and non-users. Findings will inform potential barriers and facilitators for the adherence and adoption of wearables through the application of the Self-Determination Theory. METHODS: Six focus groups were conducted and equally stratified to wearable users (n = 10) and non-users (n = 10). Data were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an iterative approach creating first-level codes. This was followed by developing second-level codes that allowed for generating themes. RESULTS: For users, the wearables’ feedback provided them with validation, a sense of achievement, and other-determined motivation. Users appreciated the functionality of wearables, particularly with simpler and newer models. They also reported improvements in health behaviors. While both users and non-users had a general positive feeling towards wearables, they held similar concerns about cost, guilt, dependency, and accuracy. Non-users were unique in their concerns for materialism and functionality (i.e. ease of use and charge) associated with wearables. They also seemed to be more intrinsically motivated to be physically active by relying less on external sources of motivation as potentially provided by wearables. CONCLUSIONS: Findings show that while both adult users and non-users held positive perceptions of wearables and concerns for feelings of guilt and dependency, widespread adoption and adherence may be prevented by differences in motivation for physical activity and concerns for cost, materialism, and functionality.